Automatic box moving means for lidding machines



H. PAXTON July 16, 1935.

AUTOMATIC BOX MOVING MEANS FOR LIDDING MACHINES Filed April 1, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheefc l Fig. 3

M INVENTOR. .ZW@

July 16, 1935 PAXTQN 2,008,592

AUTOMATIC BOX MOVING MEANS FOR LIDDING MACHINES Filed April 1, 1931 3 Sheets$heet 2 g 25%) INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

July 16, 1935 H. PAXTON 2,008,592

AUTOMATIC BOX MOVING MEANS FOR LIDDING MACHINES Filed April 1, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 o I m f0 IN VENTOR.

f W W ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 16; 1935 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC BOX MOVING MEANS FOR LIDDING MACHINES Hale Paxton, Rcdlands, Calif., assignor to Paxton Credit Corporation, tion of California Sanger, Calif., a corpora- Application April 1, 1931. serial No. 526,927

30 Claims.

My invention relates to a box lidding machine and more specifically to a device for automatically removing the boxes from the nailing table. My device is adaptable to a form of box lidder on 5 which application has heretofore been made by me for Letters Patent. The object accomplished is the automatic removal of the box from the nailing table after it is lidded. Other objects will be hereinafter referred to.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application for U. S. Letters Patent Serial No. 452,061, on an Automatic box moving means for lidding machine, filed May 13, 1930.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side fractional view of the lidding device. Fig. 2 is a front fractional view. Fig. 3 shows a top view along sectional line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fractional rear view showing independent conveyors to and from the table. Fig. 5 is a fractional view of a sliding bar in cross section along the sectional line 55 in Fig. 4. Figs. 6 and 7 are fractional views showing modified forms for performing the same functions as the device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4.

Referring'to the drawings, I have formed a frame of uprights ll, side base members l0, and 7 cross base member 9. The uprights are tied together by a cross beam 54 near the top, and a tie beam 55 a spaced distance from cross member 9.- A nailing table 3| is formed independently of the frame, and is adapted to slide vertically on said frame. Fig. 5 shows in detail a sectional view of upright I I which is formed of channel iron. A guide roller 2| is attached to the nailing table'adapted to engage an edge of the channel iron, and to guide the vertical movement of the table. Rollersi 32 are attached to the table and normally extend .above its top surface to lessen the friction in moving a box on and off the table. Conveyors 23 and- 24 are positioned at the two ends of the nailing table and on a common plane when at its lowest point of travel and are adapted for easily conveying the boxes of fruit to be lidded to and from the nailing table. 45 The vertical movement of the table is accomplished by hydraulic jack IS. A valve 23 is adapted to admit and discharge fluid to and from the jack. On uprights ll above the path of the normal vertical movement of the nailing table are attached projecting arms M, the underside of which are on a plane parallel with the nailing table. These arms support brackets 35 which carry rollers l2, the rollers on the two arms being spaced apart so that the box 50 when on the nailing table can easily and snugly pass between them,- thus forming an' auxiliary guide for the box. A crown sheet 36 is positioned above brack ets 35 for the purpose of pressing the lid against the fruit; 25'within the box and in position for nailing the lid to the box. The crown sheet is formed in two parts which are held together by means of. brackets 33 connected with a pin 37. A compression spring 38 encircles pin 31 between thebrackets and tends to yieldingly hold the crown sheet up in the center. Screws 39 passing through beam 54 are adapted to hold the crown sheet downward against the tension of spring 38, thereby adjusting it as to height. In operating this device the lid is positioned on the box and the box and lid are then compressed by jack i3 against the crown sheet and nailed.

The box is moved from conveyor 23 onto the nailing table by hand. It is automatically moved from the nailing table onto the discharge conveyor by the following mechanism.

To the rear of the nailing table frame are attached two upright supports 52 and 53 which should not extend above the top of the box to be lidded. A top tie 5| connects uprights 52 and 53 for the purpose of strengthening this feature of the device. To uprights 52 and 53 are attached four rollers 59 shown more specifically in Fig. 5, which rollers are positioned to form a horizontal slideway for bar 65. Pins 56 and 51 are positioned to engage uprights 52 and 53 when bar 65 is being moved, the object being to limit the, movement of said bar. To the bar is attached a dog 66 by means of a pivot 68, the one end of the dog being held by spring 61 in a. yielding, but normal position of disengagement with the box when bar 65 is slid to the left and in en gagement with the box when the bar is slid to the right. A lever 6| is pivotally attached to fulcrum 60 at one end and by means of spring 62 is normally pulled toward the left of the device as shown. Lever 6| is hollow a spaced distance from the free end and a rod 63 is telescoped therein and is pivotally attached to sliding bar 65. A compression spring 64 encircles rod 63, and bears against the free end of lever 6| at one end, and against a collar163ll at the other end, said collar being attached rod 63.

The nailing head is designated 40 on the drawings.

It will be noted that the box of fruit is placed upon the nailing table when it is at its lowest point in its path of travel. When the table is raised with the box thereon lever 6| tends to pull bar 65 to the left so dog 66 thereon engages the left end of the box as viewed from the rear in Fig. 4. When thelid is nailed on the box and the table with the box thereon is lowered, lever 6| functions to move sliding bar 65 toward the discharge end of the table, moving box 50 with it,

and clearing the table for another box to be lidded. The object in forming the moving lever of two parts GI and 53, telescoping them and holding them apart with compression spring 64 is to l have a yielding push for moving the box, as the initial movement is more efiective in getting the box started without breakage by this yielding means, and when the box has obtained some momentum by the descending table, spring 54 tends to give the box a final push to roll it beyond the nailing table. This form of construction is also necessary to compensate for the varying length of lever required when the path of the sliding bar 65 is fixed as shown in Fig. 4.

It is here noted that the device described for automatically moving the boxes is not limited to lidding machines as shown but it' can be applied to any machine for moving objects which are elevated for any purpose and then lowered to the normal level. It is also noted that the telescoping of rod 63 within lever 5| can be accomplished by an arrangement permitting said two members to be slidingly attachedtogether otherwise than by telescoping.

Other devices can be constructed to accomplish practically the same results.

In Fig. 6 I have shown the uprights II, and a vertically moving table 3| To table 3| 9. T support 98 is attached at one end and a T support 89 at the other end. Pulleys 8| and 82 are rotatingly attached to T support 88 and pulleys 83 and 84 are attached rotatingly to T support 89. A

cable 89 is attached at one end to post H at anchor 86 from which point it runs over pulley 9|,

thence over. pulley B3 and around and under pulthat it will drag along the side of the box in the upward movement of the table. As any element having the same characteristics of flexibility as the cable could be substituted for this cable in the modified form of my device as shown in Fig. 6, the term cable is to be interpreted broadly where this appears in the claims as covering not only the cable per se, but also any equivalent of the cable in flexibility such as a chain, rope, flexible strap and the like.

In Fig.''? I have shown a rack and pinion device for moving the box'from t e table 31. This device includes a rack 90 whic tically .on the frame of the machine so as to mesh with a pinion 9| having a ratchet 92 provided thereon, this ratchet meshing with a pawl 93 which is securely fixed to a shaft 94 upon which is fixed a roller 95. The pinion 9| is mounted on the shaft 94 so as to idly rotate thereon. The roller 95 is connected to one or more of the nail- -ing table rollers 32 as by a friction idler 91 so as the roller 95 rotates the rollers 32 connected therewith rotate with a corresponding peripheral velocity. The roller 95 and rollers 32 connected therewith are positioned on. the table 3| so that the box 59 rests upon these rollers as the table is mounted ver-' 3| reciprocates up and down in accomplishing the lidding operation. During the upward movement of the nailing table the pinion 9| is caused to rotate in a reverse direction from that indicated by the arrow 98 in Fig. 7, the teeth of the ratchet 92 at this time idly riding over the pawl 93. After the box has been lidded, however, and the table 3| starts downwardly the pinion 9| is rotated in the same direction indicated by the arrow 99, whereupon the teeth of the ratchet92 engage with the pawl 93 so as to rotate the roller 95 and the rollers 32 connected therewith in the direction of the arrow 98 so as to' move the box 50 off the table.

I claim as new and ask for Letters Patent:

' 1. In combination with a table adapted to be elevated and lowered, of a bar adapted to slide in a fixed path approximately parallel with the top plane of the table, means for moving said bar consisting of a tube pivotally attached at one end to a fixed base, a rod adapted to telescope within said tube, one end of said rod being pivotally con-,

.2. In combination with a nailing machine hav ing a table adapted to be raised and lowered, of means attached to the table and movable therewith adapted as a slideway, a bar adapted to slide within said slideway, means for moving said bar consisting of a link constructed of two parts which are adapted to slide one part within the other, means to yieldingly extend the parts of said link relative to each other, said link being pivotally attached at one end to the sliding bar and the other end being pivotally attached to a fixed base, and dog means on said bar adapted to be normally in position for engagement when moving in one direction only.

, 3. In combination with a lidding machine having nailing means and a nailing table adapted to hold a box for hdding, said nailing table beingv adapted to have an up and down movement, of means adapted to eject the box from said table, said ejecting means being actuated by the downward movement 01' the nailing table.

4. In combination with a lidding machine having nailing means and a nailing table adapted to hold a box for lidding, said nailing table being adapted to be raised and lowered at will, of means for ejecting the box from the nailing table, said i with a box thereon to accomplish the lidding of said box and thereafter lowering said nailing table to its original level; and means automatically operative during the lowering 01 said nailing tableto expel said .box therefrom onto said discharge conveyor.

6. In a lidding machine adapted to receive boxes from a feed conveyor on one level and discharge said boxes after their being lidded onto another conveyor on substantially the same 'level, the

combination of: a nailing table including a conveyor section normally disposed between and on the same level as said feed and discharge conveyors; means for elevating said nailingtable with a box thereon to accomplish the lidding of said box and thereafter lowering said nailing; table to its original level; and means for utilizing the force of gravity released in the descent-of said box and said nailing table to expel said box from said nailing table onto said discharge conveyor.

7. A combination as in claim 6 in which the last mentioned means includes a yieldable power storage means for transmitting said force to said box to expel the latter from said nailing table;

8. In a box lidding machine the combination of a nailing table having rollers adapted to receive a loaded box from a feed conveyor and after said box is lidded discharge said box onto a discharge conveyor, both of said conveyors being on substantially the same level as said table; reciprocating box ejecting means mounted on said table; a. dog on said ejecting means; and means for retracting said ejecting means with each lidding operation to bring said dog opposite a rear face of a box on said table, and then move said ejecting means in the opposite direction to quickly expel said box onto said discharge conveyor.

9. A combination as in claim 8 in which means is provided to elevate said nailing table to accomplish the lidding operation, the operation of said ejecting means being accomplished by a yieldably compressible link pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the frame of said machine and i to said box ejecting means.

charge conveyors; rollers 10. In a box lidding machine the combination of: a vertically reciprocable nailing table aligned in its lower position with box feeding and discharge conveyors; rollers on said table to support a box; and means for rotating at least one of said rollers during the descent of said table to eject a box from said table onto said discharge conveyor.

11. In a box lidding machine the combination of: a vertically reciprocable nailing table aligned in its lower position with box feeding and discharge conveyors; rollers on said table to support a box; and rack and pinion means for l'O-r tating at least one of said rollers during the descent of said table to eject a box from said table onto said discharge conveyor.

12. In a box lidding machine the combination of: a vertically reciprocable nailing table aligned in its lower position with box feeding and dison said table to support a box; and a cable operated dog mounted for horizontal reciprocation with respect to said table, said dog being adapted to engage and eject a box from said table during the descent of the latter.

13. In a box lidding machine the combination of a vertically reciprocable nailing table aligned in its lower position with box feeding and discharge conveyors; rollers on said table to support a box; a cable; pulleys on opposite ends of said table to support a loop of said cable extending horizontally from one end of said table and returning thereto; means on the frame of said machine for fixing opposite ends of said cable above and below the vertical path of said table; and a dog on said horizontal loop of said cable for ena ing and ejecting a box from said table when the latter is descending.

14. In a lid machine adapted to receive boxes from a feed conveyor on one level and discharge said boxes after their being lidded onto another conveyor on substantially the same level,

the combination of: a nailing table including a conveyor section normally disposed between and on the same level as said feed and discharge consaid discharge conveyor.

15. A combination as in claim 5 in which said box expelling means is actuated by power supplied by vertical movement of said nailing table carrying said box.

16. In a packed box lidding machine adapted to be positioned between spaced packed box feed and discharge conveyors, the combination of: a nailing table bridging the gap between said conveyors and adapted to receive a box from said feed conveyor; cover engaging means disposed above said table; power means for causing relative vertical movement between said table and said cover engaging means to press a cover on said box to facilitate the box being lidded; means for ejecting the lidded box from said nailing table onto said discharge conveyor; and energy storage means operated by said relative movement and automatically actuating said ejecting means.

17. In a box lidding machine, the combination a conveyor for movably supporting a loaded box; a reciprocating box ejecting means mounted on the machine, said ejecting means including a pivoted dog; and means for retracting the ejectbeing lidded, and then move said ejecting means after it has been lidded.

18. In a lid securing machine, the combination of: a horizontal table for supporting a loaded box; idle conveyor rollers provided on said table to support and facilitate rapid movement of said box over said table; means adapted to cooperate with said table when in superimposed contact with a box on saidtable to perform a lid securing operation on said box; mechanism causing relative vertical movement between said table and said means to effect said contact; a box ejector; and means controlled by said mechanism and connected to said ejector to move said ejector to engage a rear face of said box so that the ejector may quickly'expel said box from said machine after the performance of said lid securing operation.

19. In a lid securing machine, the combination of: a-horizontal conveyor table for supporting a loaded box; means above said table and adapted to cooperate with said table when in superimposed contact with a box on said table to perform a lid seeming operation on said box; mechanism causing relative vertical movement between said table and said means for effecting the aforesaid contact between said means and a box on said table incidental to the performance of the aforesaid lid securing operation on said box; intermittently movable box ejecting means; and means responsive to said-mechanism to actuate said ejecting means to cause the latter to engage a rear face of and quickly expel from said machine the box-which was subjected to said lid securing operation. O

20. A combination as in means is provided for claim 19 in which preventing the discharge of said box from said table during an initial portion of the action of said ejector means against said box, said box being freed from said preventing means in timely relation with the afor said relative movement produced by said mechanism.

21. In a machine for securing lids to loaded boxes, the combination of a conveyor for supporting a loaded box for travel over said conveyor along a given path in a given direction; means cooperating with said conveyor to perform a lid securing operation on said box while the latter is supported on said conveyor; an ejector dog shiftable into and out of said path; means carrying said dog to permit straight line travel of the latter in the aforesaid direction while extending into said path, said carrying means also permitting travel of said dog in a reverse direction, and while said dog is retracted out of said path, to reposition said dog back of a box to be ejected; and means automatically and intermittently operable in timely relation with said lid securing operation to actuate said dog carrying means to move said dog in said given direction along said path against said box to' quickly expel said box from the machine after the completion of said lid securing operation.

22. In a box lidding machine the combination of: a conveyor for movably supporting a loaded box; a reciprocating box ejecting means mount ed on the machine, said ejecting means includ-' ing a dog shiftable into and from the path along which a box travels in passing over said conveyor; and means for retracting the ejecting means with each lidding operation to bring the dog opposite a rear face of a box which is being lidded, and then moving said ejecting means in the opposite direction to quickly expel the box after it has been lidded.

23. In a machine for securing lidsto loaded boxes, the combination of: a conveyor for supporting a loaded box for travel over said conveyor along a given path in a given direction; means cooperating with said conveyor to perform a lid securing operation on said box while the latter is supported on said conveyor; an ejector dog shiftable into and out of said path; means carrying said dog to permit straight line'travel of the latter inthe aforesaid direction while extending into said path, said carrying means also permitting travel of said dog in a reverse direction, and while said dog is retracted out of said path, to reposition said dog back of a box to be ejected; and means automatically actuating said dog carrying means, first to move said dog in said reverse direction to reposition said dog back ,of the rear face of said box.and second to move said dog in said given direction along said path against said box to quickly expel said box from the machine.

24- Ina lid securing machine; the combination of: a horizontal conveyor table for supporting a loaded box; ,means above said table and adapted to cooperate with said table when in superimposed contact with a box on said table to perform a lid securing operation on said box; mechanism for elevating said table to effect the aforesaid contact between said means and a box on said table incidental to the performance of the lid securing operation on said box, and forsuperimposed contact with a box on said table :to perform a lid securing operation on said box;

mechanism for elevating said table to effect the aforesaid contact between said means and a box on said table incidental to the performance of the lid securing operation on said box, and for lowering said table to permit the discharge of said box therefrom; intermittently movable box ejecting means provided on vertical reciprocation of said table to actuate said ejecting means to cause the latter to be retracted to a position opposite a rear face of the box carried by said table during said reciprocation and then to move said ejecting means in the opposite direction to quickly expel said box from the machine.

26. In a lid securing machine, the combination of a horizontal conveyor table for supporting a loaded box; means above said table and adapted to cooperate with said table when in superimposed contact with a box on said table to perform a lid securing operation on said box; mechanism causing relative vertical movement between said table and said means, said movement effecting the aforesaid contact between said means and a box on said table incidental to the performance of the aforesaid lid securing operation on said box; intermittently movable box ejected means; a flexible cable and pulley means for transmitting the aforesaid relative vertical movement during a portion thereof to said box ejecting means to cause horizontal movement of the latter thereby retracting the same into a position of readiness opposite a rear face ofa box supported on said table; and means to automatically move said ejecting means in the opposite direction to engage said rear face of said box and quickly expel said boxfrom said machine.

27. A combination as in claim 19 in which said means last recited comprises a pulley and flexible cable mechanism.

28. In a lid securing machine, the combination of: a horizontal conveyor table for supporting a loaded box; means above said table and adapted to cooperate with said table when in superimposed contact with a box on said table to perform a lid securing operation on said box; mechanism causing relative vertical movement between said table and said means, for eifecting the aforesaid contact between said means and a box on said table incidental to the performance of the aforesaid lid securing operation on said box; intermittently movable box ejecting means; and rack and pinion means responsive to said mechanism during a part of the movement to actuate said ejecting means to cause the latter to quickly expel from said machine the box which was subjected to; said lid securing operation.

29. In a machine for securing lids to loaded boxes, the combination of: a horizontal table for supporting a loaded' box with the longest axis of said box disposed horizontally; idle conveyor rollers provided on' said table to support and facilitate rapid and easy movement of said box over said table; means cooperating with said table to perform a lid securing operation on said box while the latter is supported on said table;

and

intermittently operable ejecting means; means automatically operating said ejecting means at the conclusion of the aforesaid lid securing operation to cause said ejecting means to engage said box and quickly eject the latter from said machine, said operating means causing a substantially continuous acceleration ,of said box while said ejecting means is in engagement with said box during the ejecting of said box.

30. In a machine for securing lids to loaded boxes, the combination of: a horizontal table for supporting a loaded box with. the longest axis of said box disposed horizontally; idle conveyor rollers provided on said table to support and facilitate rapid and easy movement of said box over said table; means cooperating with said table to perform a lid securing operation on said box while the latter is supported on said table; intermittently operable ejecting means; and

mea'ns including a spring, said means automatically transmitting motion through said spring to said ejecting means to cause the latter to move said box and quicky expel said box from said machine after said lid securing operation has been performed 'on said box, said spring causing a substantially continuous acceleration of said box while said ejecting means is in engagement with said box during the ejecting of said box.

HALE PAXTON. 

